United Kingdom (UK) has committed an extra £10.8m (approx. K11 billion) to support Malawi in tackling serious and organised corruption.

The UK’s Minister for Africa, James Duddridge, made the announcement after his audience with President Dr Lazarus Chakwera at State House in Lilongwe on Tuesday evening.

Since 2016, the UK has been supporting Malawi through the Tackling Serious and Organised Corruption (TSOC) Programme to strengthen the anti-corruption environment and increase penalties for serious and organised corruption.

The extra funding will see this programme being extended up to 2024, supporting law enforcement efforts in asset recovery and addressing high-level crime.

 Duddridge said,“To alleviate poverty, we must tackle corruption. The UK is committed to helping Malawi do so, building robust institutions to tackle serious and organised crime.

“With this funding the UK can support this administration’s vision of fighting corruption by addressing technical and political barriersto reducing corruption in Malawi, and building stronger public financial management systems that help prevent corruption occurring in the first place.”

The TSOC programme will reduce the opportunity for corrupt activity by strengthening the systems regulating how money and services move through the economy; and increase the risks of engaging in corruption, by publicly exposing corrupt individuals and corporations, seizing assets, and improving strategic casework and conviction rates.

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